Possessions

[Blind groper]

We often get told by assorted half assed would-be philosophers that the love of possessions is a major problem.

I find that strange. Humanity is successful primarily because of our technology and our social cooperation. The former requires possessions. Without those possessions, we would not survive.

So what do you consider essential to our life? What possessions do you need for survival, and to make your life rich?

In my case, the list includes :
1. Basic necessities such as food, clothing, and a roof over my head.
2. My scuba equipment (hey, I love scuba diving and it definitely enriches my life).
3. Such stuff as is needed for red tape purposes, such as my passport and drivers license.
4. My communication gear. Computer, cell phone, etc.
5. My car. (I live in a rural area, well away from public transport, and too far to cycle)

What do you think is essential?

[JimC]

I think it only becomes a problem when accumulating possessions, particularly high-status and the latest fad, becomes one of the prime foci of one's life...

[mistermack]

I'm constantly astounded at the amount of stuff I need when I go out of the door.

I never had this problem years ago. And no matter how hard I try, I get to where I'm going, and find something I didn't think of is still back at the house.

I remember years ago, I was doing some washing, and I suddenly thought, ''fuck this, I'm going to Scotland'', and I just tied a tent on the back of my motorbike, put some clothes in a bag, and jumped on the bike and went.
On my own, with cash in my pockets, I was gone for a week. I had a good time around the lake district, and then Lock Lomond, and just camped and met enough strangers not to get lonely. Anything I needed I got from corner shops.

Now I would take two days packing for that, and months planning it. And I wouldn't do it, without at least three or four mates for company.

The older you get, the more you seem to need.

[FBM]

The more you possess, the more you are possessed. Every time I move to a new place, I give or throw away as much accumulated useless crap as I can. It feels good. I have a TV, but I only use it as a monitor. A sofa, kitchen and toilet are pretty much all I need to get by. Well, a car. As for the motorcycle, telescope and camera gear, while I do enjoy them, they do cause me unnecessary complications.

[FBM]

Because of the close connection of pleasure with desire-satisfaction, Epicurus devotes a considerable part of his ethics to analyzing different kinds of desires. If pleasure results from getting what you want (desire-satisfaction) and pain from not getting what you want (desire-frustration), then there are two strategies you can pursue with respect to any given desire: you can either strive to fulfill the desire, or you can try to eliminate the desire. For the most part Epicurus advocates the second strategy, that of paring your desires down to a minimum core, which are then easily satisfied.

http://www.iep.utm.edu/epicur/#SH5d

[FBM]

Also, why is this in News, Current Events and Politics?

[Warren Dew]

So what do you consider essential to our life? What possessions do you need for survival, and to make your life rich?

In my case, the list includes :
1. Basic necessities such as food, clothing, and a roof over my head.
2. My scuba equipment (hey, I love scuba diving and it definitely enriches my life).
3. Such stuff as is needed for red tape purposes, such as my passport and drivers license.
4. My communication gear. Computer, cell phone, etc.
5. My car. (I live in a rural area, well away from public transport, and too far to cycle)

My list is similar to yours, except replace 2. with "My house".

As far as I'm concerned, possessions are part of our evolutionary extended phenotype.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Also, why is this in News, Current Events and Politics?

I know... If only someone would report it so the staff (you know, like you) could decide if it should be moved!

[JimC]

Also, why is this in News, Current Events and Politics?

I know... If only someone would report it so the staff (you know, like you) could decide if it should be moved!

[Blind groper]

Move it if you wish. Whether to move it or not, is definitely very, very low in my list of what is important.

[MrJonno]

So what do you consider essential to our life? What possessions do you need for survival, and to make your life rich?

They are very different questions, my essentials for life are the normal basics including other people but to actually make life worth living I can broadly sum it up as 'change'

Need constant new input which covers everything from a new programme on TV ,reading a new book to going on holiday to somewhere I haven't been to before

[Blind groper]

That is well put, Mr. Jonno. I agree. Change is vital for a rich life.

[Scott1328]

[laklak]

Ma dogs, ma gunz and ma Holey Babble.

[macdoc]

I used to love going to South Africa for the winter as I had 3 months to live simple.

SIngle room with small two buner hot plate and a small fridge.
Bicycle I bought to go for groceries or I'd walk.
Montagu a small town in Western Cape with a great Saturday market.

Was very liberating and healthy. ALways lost weight from simple food, being relaxed, walking and swimming every day and bicycling for food etc some days.

Essentials.( currently )

Coffee press
MacBook Air or Retina
couple/3 shirts/shorts/undies....depending on length of stay.....I tend to wear a set wash a set and have a spare....techical gear is great ....dries superfast.
( motorcycling tends to keep you grounded ).
Jacket - all sorts of uses, pockets, pillow, warmth, shelter.
Small Swiss Army brand knapsack - it's amazing what can fit in a small knapsack and it's a good pillow.
Hat
These days an MFT camera.
Internet ( figure an iPhone and a plan ).
Credit, debit and drivers licence and passport.
Gift of the gab and a winning smile


Good for the world pretty much and it all fits on carry on or under the seat on the Burgman.

I hitched for 3 months around Canada with small sleeping bag and a change of clothes ann $50 - even up to the Yukon and came back with the same. Healthy and happy and skinny

Retracing part of that some 45 years later with GF from Australia this July....at least the Alaska highway is paved now...was 1200 miles of dirt when I hitched up to Tok.